I read where chromium picolinate is recommended for people with hypoglycemia. Can a person vary on the amount taken daily? (i.e. take more when in a bad mood)
Also, is there a certain amount of sugar able to be taken that won’t affect one’s emotional state? Also, is there a recommended diet? Thank you in advance.
First of all, sweets do affect a person’s mood by making a person feel drowsy. How drowsy depends on the amount of carbohydrate and fat eaten in one meal. Chocolate can elevate mood by increasing endorphins in the brain. Secondly, chromium as a mineral functions as a glucose tolerance factor, but the question is, what amount is appropriate as a supplement and can it be toxic?
There is no effect by chromium supplements on people who don’t have diabetes. If a person is deficient in chromium, they may experience glucose intolerance which is resolved by supplementing with chromium. However, taking chromium supplements by a person with type 2 diabetes who is not deficient in chromium will not improve glucose tolerance. The FDA concluded that chromium picolinate intake and insulin resistance is highly uncertain when deciding on supplement label health claims for type 2 diabetes. According to the National Institute of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements, there is insufficient research evidence to support the use of chromium picolinate supplements for type 2 diabetes.
Chromium is a micronutrient meaning we don’t need a lot to meet our AI (Adequate Intake) and an inadequate intake of chromium can be resolved with a healthy eating plan. It is relatively easy to get safe and adequate amounts of chromium (11 to 45 micrograms per day) by eating a variety of foods like broccoli, grape juice, whole grains, potatoes, orange juice, and turkey.
Methods to assess chromium amounts in the body are lacking, but chromium is found in hair and blood (serum). However, hair analysis is not a valid method to analyze the nutritional status of chromium or any other nutrient.
People who take chromium picolinate supplements may suffer health problems rather than improved health. Although claims of weight loss, lowered cholesterol, and reversal of diabetes are unfounded, researchers have shown that chromium supplements damaged cell chromosomes which are the blueprints for a cell’s function and reproduction. It is generally thought that cancer starts with a change to the genetic material in a cell causing it to grow and reproduce without restraint.
